In Iraq I had something I called “The 10% Rule”. 10% of civilians deployed into theater went nuts. It was common enough that it was just part of life there. I think it’s the media (news, movies, etc.) is filled with amoral, narratives rooted in lunacy.
Currently, my rule of thumb is that 40% of Americans are nuts.
A number of people have ‘round the bend.
It’s actually something more mundane.
For years now I’ve had this theory that a certain percentage of people are susceptible to psychological breaks due to pressure changes, particularly in aircraft at altitude. I’ve associated the rarity of the type as analogous to the condition we know as vertigo. I believe some people are naturally susceptible (rarer) but that most who are susceptible are triggered by alcohol.
I have been personal witness to such an event and, by association (my travel/business partner), narrowly avoided the wrath of Las Vegas Transit Police (who did not take kindly to his actions either on the plane or on the ground). He was not ‘nuts’ and nor have the multitude of persons in similar events I’ve read about over the past few decades. However, there is frequently little-to-no press follow up of such events, as I suspect will be the case here.
After all these decades of air travel and the multitude of ridiculous federally funded studies over those decades, one would think someone might have studied this phenomenon years ago. There are statistics which support such a study pursuant to appropriate policy for airlines to contend with such events.
But no. “Shoelaces” and a nearly broken window in a pressurized aircraft. Commerical air travel and its ‘safety’ are far more tenuous than dealing with a real problem, and the second step after acknowledging the problem should be banning FWI/P (flying while impaired/passenger). IMHO.
smh
I can see both instances. I keep to myself. Too many people are a bubble off. I just can’t comprehend some of their acts.